North Korea national football team

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see North Korea women's national football team.

Korea DPR

Nickname(s)	Chollima (Korean: 천리마) Samba of East Asia (Korean: 동아시아의 삼바)
Association	DPR Korea Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Sub-confederation	EAFF (East Asia)
Head coach	Sin Yong-nam
Captain	Jang Kuk-chol
Most caps	Ri Myong-guk (118)
Top scorer	Jong Il-gwan (31)
Home stadium	Kim Il Sung Stadium
FIFA code	PRK
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	114 3 (28 November 2024)
Highest	57 (November 1993)
Lowest	181 (October – November 1998)
First international
China 0–1 North Korea (Beijing, China; 7 October 1956)
Biggest win
North Korea 21–0 Guam (Taipei, Taiwan; 11 March 2005)
Biggest defeat
Portugal 7–0 North Korea (Cape Town, South Africa; 21 June 2010)
World Cup
Appearances	2 (first in 1966)
Best result	Quarter-finals (1966)
AFC Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (first in 1980)
Best result	Fourth place (1980)
AFC Challenge Cup
Appearances	3 (first in 2008)
Best result	Champions (2010, 2012)
EAFF E-1 Football Championship
Appearances	4 (first in 2005)
Best result	Third place (2005, 2015)
Medal record Asian Games 1978 Thailand Team 1990 China Team AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Nepal Team 2010 Sri Lanka Team 2008 India Team EAFF Championship 2005 South Korea Team 2015 China Team East Asian Games 1993 Shanghai Team

DPR of Korea national football team
Chosŏn'gŭl	조선민주주의인민공화국 축구 국가대표팀
Hancha	朝鮮民主主義人民共和國蹴球國家代表팀
Revised Romanization	Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk Chukgu Gukga Daepyo Tim
McCune–Reischauer	Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk Ch'ukku Kukka Taep'yo T'im
Munhwaŏ
Chosŏn'gŭl	조선민주주의인민공화국 국가종합팀
Hancha	朝鮮民主主義人民共和國國家綜合팀
Revised Romanization	Joseon Minjujuui Inmin Gonghwaguk Gukga Jonghap Tim
McCune–Reischauer	Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk Kukka Chonghap T'im

The North Korea national football team (Munhwaeo Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국 국가종합팀 (North Korean romanisation: Josŏn minjujuŭi inmin konghwaguk kukka chonghap thim), recognized as Korea DPR by FIFA) represents North Korea in men's international football and it is controlled by the DPR Korea Football Association, the governing body for Football in North Korea. The team represents both FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In their 1966 FIFA World Cup debut, North Korea reached the quarter-finals and beat Italy in the group stage, becoming the first men's Asian team in history to make it past the group stage. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, controversy arose when the team's supporters rioted, interfering with the opponents' safe egress from the stadium, because of North Korea's failure to qualify. In 2009, the team qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the second World Cup appearance in their history. North Korea has qualified for the AFC Asian Cup six times; in 1980, when they finished fourth, in 1992, 2011, in 2015, and in 2019. The current team is composed of both native North Koreans and Zainichi Koreans.

History

North Korea's debut and the 1966 FIFA World Cup

The North Korea Football Association was founded in 1945. It became a member of the AFC during the confederation's first year of existence in 1954, and has been affiliated with FIFA since 1958. The first official match of the North Korean national football team was played on 22 March 1964, in Rangoon, against Burma, as part of the 1964 Olympic qualifiers. This first match in the history of the North Korean selection ended in a goalless draw. Thanks to their victory over the Burmese in the second leg, the Chollimas reached the next round against Thailand, a two-legged affair also hosted in Rangoon. They won easily (7–0 over the two matches), but were forced to forfeit the final phase of the tournament because the IOC decided to ban any athlete who participated in the GANEFO—which several footballers from the national team did.

In 1965, the national team took part again in GANEFO, and in 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time. That year, FIFA decided to place all the selections entered from Africa, Asia and Oceania in a single qualifying group, with the aim of offering only one place. All registered African countries protested by withdrawing from the competition, leaving only North Korea and Australia. The Australians started as favourites, but the North Koreans won both matches (6–1 and 3–1) and qualified for the final phase. The qualification of North Korea posed a diplomatic problem for the organizing country, the United Kingdom; since the Korean War, they had not recognized the legitimacy of the Pyongyang government and would not fly its flag or play its national anthem. The problem was only partly solved before the start of the competition in July 1966; the North Korean flag was flown alongside those of the other participants, but the national anthem was not played before the team's matches.

In the 1966 FIFA World Cup, they were drawn into group 4, along with the USSR, Italy and Chile, the first time North Korea would face teams from another continent. The Chollimas lost their first game against the Soviets, then managed a 1–1 draw against Chile (Pak Seung-zin scoring North Korea's first goal at a World Cup). The last match, against the Italian double world champions, was crucial, as the winner would obtain their ticket to the quarter-finals. The discipline of Myung Rye-hyun's men managed to secure them a 1–0 win with a goal from Pak Doo-ik. This was the first time an Asian team qualified for the quarter-finals of a World Cup. At the same time, the public began to take an interest in these disciplined players from a closed country. They were cheered on by locals in the town of Middlesbrough, where they were housed, including the team's star players, Pak Seung-zin and Pak Doo-ik. In the quarter-finals, North Korea faced Portugal. After 25 minutes of play, the Koreans led 3–0 (goals from Pak Seung-zin, Yang Seung-kook and Li Dong-woon) but began to lose their discipline. Eusébio went on to score four goals, and José Augusto added another to defeat North Korea 5–3. When the North Korean players returned home, the crowd cheered them on as heroes. Pak Seung-zin remains North Korea's top scorer in the FIFA World Cup with two goals in four games.

Thirty-five years later, British director Dan Gordon, made a film called The Game of Their Lives after finding the seven surviving players of the 1966 side, who had become favourites with the British public and were celebrated as heroes on their return to their country. The film screened in North Korea and South Korea and received the award for Best Sports Documentary from the Royal Television Society.

After the FIFA World Cup (1967–1980)

Following the FIFA World Cup, North Korea only rarely took part in the qualifying campaigns for the various continental and world tournaments. The Chollimas forfeited the 1968 Olympic qualifiers, and failed to enter the 1968 AFC Asian Cup qualification and 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they refused to face the Israeli team in the second round of the playoffs. Between their World Cup quarter-final and 1971, they played only one friendly against Algeria, losing 3–1 in Algiers. This meeting was the first in the history of the North Korean team against an African side.

The North Koreans played their first official game since 1966 in 1972, as part of the 1972 Olympic qualifiers. They defeated Syria and Iraq, but ended up losing against Iran 2–0 in a play-off match, following 0–0 draws in both of the first two legs. They decided again not to register for the 1972 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. In May 1973, Pak Seung-zin's men were in Tehran to play the first phase of the 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They were in Group 2, along with host nation Iran, Syria and Kuwait. The team finished third in the group, behind the Iranians, who qualified for the rest of the competition, and Syria.

North Korea took part in Asian Cup qualification for the first time in 1976. Placed in group 4-B, with Japan and Singapore, the Chollimas finished first, then beat Hong Kong in the semi-finals, ensuring their participation in the tournament proper, then beating China in the final match. But, like Saudi Arabia and Thailand, the North Koreans withdrew and missed the opportunity to take part in the continental tournament for the first time.

The following year, under the direction of former striker Pak Doo-ik, the team qualified for the Olympic football tournament for the second time. They finished first during qualification and advanced following a penalty shootout against Indonesia. In Montreal, they were placed in Group 3 with hosts Canada and the USSR. The North Koreans beat Canada 3–1, then lost to the Soviets 0–3, but still qualified for the quarter-finals in second. They failed again at this stage, suffering a heavy 5-0 defeat against future silver medalist team Poland. They played the last half hour with ten men against the Poles, led by Grzegorz Lato and Andrzej Szarmach, who each scored twice.

The following two qualifying campaigns, for the 1978 FIFA World Cup and for the 1980 Olympics, were failures. The former was cut short with a withdrawal for diplomatic reasons, the North Koreans finding themselves in the same qualifying group as their southern neighbors, and in 1980, the Chollimas finished in 4th place in Group 3 of the pre-tournament, overtaken by Iran, Singapore and China.

In 1980, this time with Yang Seung-kook on the bench, the North Koreans took part in 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification which saw successes against Thailand and Malaysia. They finished in second place in Group 1 of the 1980 AFC Asian Cup, behind defending champions Iran. In the semi-finals, they faced South Korea in an event of both sporting and political significance. After opening the scoring early, North Korea conceded two goals by Chung Hae-won in the last ten minutes and saw their journey come to an end in the semi-final, their best performance in the Asian Cup of Nations. The game for third place was a disaster, with a 3–0 defeat against Iran.

From one Asian Cup to another (1981–1992)

In 1980, with former international Han Bong-zin on the bench, the North Koreans moved on to 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification. After finishing top of their group (ahead of Hong Kong and Singapore), they eliminated Japan in the semi-finals but lost to China in the group final, ending any hopes of qualification. The following year, the selection participated in the 1982 Asian Games. North Korean progressed through the first round (drawing against Syria and Saudi Arabia and victory against Thailand), then beat Japan in the quarter-finals. They lost in extra time in the semi-finals, against Kuwait. The end of the match was extremely turbulent as the North Korean players attacked Thai referee Vijit Getkaew. The penalties from the AFC were heavy with a two-year suspension, which began as soon as the match ended, therefore they did not even play the match for the bronze medal, which automatically went to Saudi Arabia, the other unfortunate semi-finalists. The immediate consequence of this decision by the AFC, was the disqualification of North Korea from the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers and from the 1984 Olympic qualifiers which were boycotted by North Korea.

The selection therefore spent almost four years without playing official matches. For the 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, they entered Group 4 alongside Japan and Singapore, two nations they had beaten four years previously. This time, it was the Japanese, led by Hiromi Hara, who finished top of the group and continued their qualifying campaign.

In 1988, North Korea did not participate in the 1988 Olympic tournament. North Korea had initially asked to be involved in the Games, a request refused by the International Olympic Committee, resulting in their boycott of the Games. As for the 1988 AFC Asian Cup qualification, North Korea only placed third in their qualifying group, behind Syria and Iran, both of which qualified for the tournament.

In 1990, North Korea took part in the inaugural 1990 Dynasty Cup. North Korea finished in third place. The following year, in the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, North Korea finished top of their first-round pool, winning all three of their home matches. In the final round, North Korea finished last, winning only one game, against Qatar.

Two years later, in 1991, the federation hired a foreign manager for the first time: Hungarian Pál Csernai, the former coach of Bayern Munich. North Korea finished the 1992 AFC Asian Cup qualification in first, ahead of Macao, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei. It thus qualified for the Asian Cup for the second time, twelve years after its successful debut in Kuwait. Csernai's team were drawn into Group 1, along with hosts Japan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. This time, their tournament ended in the first round, finishing without a win and with only two goals scored, both by Kim Kwang-min.

North Korea entered 1992 Olympic qualifiers after two consecutive withdrawals. Placed in Group E, Pyongyang was chosen, along with Beijing, to host the qualifying matches. Once again, the final tournament escaped them, finishing in second place behind China. Right after the Games, the team took part in the 1992 Dynasty Cup. Like two years before, the team finished on the third step of the podium, behind Japan and South Korea.

Withdrawal period (1993–2005)

Invigorated by their participation in the final phase of the 1992 AFC Asian Cup, Csernai's men turned to qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Placed into Group C, North Korea finished undefeated, ahead of Qatar, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. The next round took the form of a single pool bringing together the six winners of the first round, the matches again held in Doha. Unfortunately for the North Koreans, after an inaugural victory against Iraq (3–2), they suffered four defeats in a row. Csernai left his post after the last meeting and left for Europe without returning to Pyongyang, and the federation put the national team on hold for more than four years. During this period, which saw North Korea tumble in the FIFA rankings, they choose not to register for any competition. This period of withdrawal coincided with the North Korean famine (1994–1998), which caused hundreds of thousands of deaths, as well as the official three-year mourning following the death of President Kim Il Sung in 1994 and the accession to power of his son Kim Jong Il.

North Korea made their return to official games in 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification. Placed into Group 8 along with Thailand, Malaysia and Chinese Taipei, Myong Dong-chan's men only lost to the Thais, and booked their ticket for the final tournament. They continued with the 2000 Olympic qualification but they finished second in their group, failing to advance. Following this, the federation again decided to sideline the team, withdrawing it from the qualifiers for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and for the 2003 EAFC.

In 2003, it was with Yun Jong-su on the bench that the North Koreans started the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification. After a preliminary round where they defeated the Indian team, the Chollimas finished last in the second round. These playoffs were marked by two incidents: first, during the game against Iran, where the North Koreans left the field as a result of smoke bombs which landed on the field; second, when North Korea refused to issue the Jordanian players visas, leading to the AFC granting Jordan a 3–0 victory and suspending North Korea from all competition in Asia for a year, including the 2007 AFC Asian Cup.

In 2005, the North Koreans returned to the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, twelve years after their last campaign. Placed in Group 5 in the second round, they finished top. In the next round, they saw their journey come to an end, finishing last behind Japan, Iran, and Bahrain. A few months later, North Korea returned to the 2005 East Asian Football Championship, thirteen years after their last participation. In the qualifying round, the North Koreans broke their record for biggest victory with a 21–0 victory against Guam. As in the 1990 and 1992 editions, the Chollimas finished on the podium, in third place, behind China and Japan, whom they beat 1–0 in the first match of the final round.

First title and return to the FIFA World Cup (2006–2010)

The sanction imposed by the AFC on North Korea deprived it of participation in the qualifications for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. With coach Kim Jong-hun at its head, the selection entered the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, a competition reserved for so-called developing nations by the AFC and whose winner obtained direct qualification for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The North Korean selection had a good run which ended on the third step of the podium, after a defeat in the semi-finals against Tajikistan then a big success (4–0) in the third-placed match against Myanmar.

North Korea and Portugal players before their 2010 FIFA World Cup group match, in which North Korea suffered its heaviest-ever defeat.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Chollimas easily dismissed Mongolia (4–1 and 5–1) then finished second behind South Korea, without any defeats or even conceding a goal in the third round. North Korea again finished second behind South Korea in the fourth round, thus qualifying for the World Cup for only the second time. During these qualifiers there were diplomatic incidents with South Korea after Kim Jong Il refused to have the South Korean national anthem played, or even to fly the flag in the country, the two meetings against the Taeguk Warriors had to be relocated to China. At the end of the year, the North Koreans managed to qualify for the 2008 East Asian Football Championship, after beating Hong Kong. During this four-man final phase played in Chongqing, China, they finished last, with two draws (against Japan and South Korea, who won the tournament, and a defeat against China).

To prepare for the World Cup and get used to the European style of play, the North Korean selection organized a preparation camp in the fall of 2009 in France. On this occasion, they played two friendly matches: against FC Nantes on 9 October at La Roche-sur-Yon (0-0) then against Congo on 13 October at Le Mans (0-0).

In early 2010, a few months before the World Cup, North Korea participated in the 2010 AFC Challenge Cup with the winner automatically qualifying for the final phase of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The Chollimas, still led by Kim Jong-hun, had an excellent run in the competition. After finishing top of their first round group, ahead of Turkmenistan, they swept Myanmar 5–0 in the semi-finals before winning, after the penalty shootout, again facing the Turkmens in the final. This success allowed them to secure a place in the continental finals, ten years after their last participation. It was also the first title obtained by the men's national team. The following month, in February, the North Koreans engaged in the 2010 East Asian Football Championship where they entered in the second round. For the first time, they did not reach the final pool, beaten on goal difference by Hong Kong.

With a final pre-tournament ranking of 105th, North Korea were the lowest-ranked team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They were drawn in Group G alongside Brazil, Portugal, and Côte d'Ivoire, in what some commentators referred to as a "Group of death". After a 2-1 defeat against Brazil, North Korea were eliminated after losing 7-0 to Portugal, the heaviest defeat in the team's history. After trailing 1–0 at halftime, they conceded six goals in the second half. The match was shown live in North Korea - an exceptionally rare occurrence for a foreign broadcast - but the broadcast was interrupted after Portugal's fourth goal. North Korea went on to lose their final match against Côte d'Ivoire 3-0 to record the worst performance of any team at that year's World Cup.

After the FIFA World Cup, Radio Free Asia reported based on anonymous reports that coach Kim Jong-hun had been punished by being sent to forced labor camps, while some players had been subjected to "harsh ideological criticism".

Successes and difficult times (2011–2022)

Six months after the FIFA World Cup, North Korea entered the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The team managed to draw 0–0 against the United Arab Emirates and two 1–0 defeats against Iran and Iraq. In the fall, the North Koreans entered the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, with the hope of participating in a second consecutive tournament. They did not enter the competition until the third round, finding themselves in the same group as Japan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (which benefited from the disqualification of Syria). The Chollimas finished in 3rd place of the group. The round featured the first meeting of the Japanese team and their North Korean counterparts in Pyongyang in 22 years. 150 Japanese supporters were allowed to be present but they received four-hour checks upon their arrival at Pyongyang International Airport, an "icy" reception at Kim Il Sung Stadium, where they were warned not to wave Japanese flags, and had their national anthem booed by the North Korean crowd.

In March 2012, the North Koreans defended the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup with the possibility again to qualify for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The Chollimas advance to the finals after finishing top of their qualifying group, along with Nepal. In the semi-finals, they beat Palestine and then managed to retain their title, following their success in the final against Turkmenistan. This victory assured them of a second consecutive participation in the AFC Asian Cup, which was a first.

North Korea against Philippines at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

The team enjoyed a two-year unbeaten run, after the home defeat against Uzbekistan in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.The Chollimas played in the second round of the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup but failed to advance on goal difference, coming second to Australia. In November 2013, the unbeaten streak ended with a loss to Kuwait (2–1). They managed to finish first in the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup qualifying pool, getting their ticket to the finals for the first time since 2008.

A few weeks before the start of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, the North Korean federation relieved Yun Jong-su of his duties, following his suspension of one year decided by the AFC. Jong-su was penalized for his unsportsmanlike behaviour towards the referees during the Asian Games soccer tournament final against South Korea. North Korea left the competition at the end of the group stage, after losing their three matches. Following this competition, the team restored its image by winning several friendly matches before finishing on the podium of the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup, including a prestigious victory over Japan (2–1).

North Korea players line-up against Lebanon at the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.

In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, North Korea got off to a flying start by winning their first three games, but failed to qualify for the 3rd round, following a defeat to the Philippines at the very end of the match (2–3, having led 2–1 until the 85th minute) during the final match. North Korea finished in second place in their group with 16 points, but this defeat prevented the Chollima from finishing among the four best runners-up and advancing to the next round. This led to the dismissal of Kim Chang-bok, replaced by Jørn Andersen, the second European coach to manage North Korea after the Hungarian Pál Csernai. The early elimination in World Cup qualifying meant that North Korea had to enter the 3rd qualifying round for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. This qualifying campaign gave rise to a triple postponement by the AFC of the home match against Malaysia, at the request of the Malaysian Federation, fearing the poisoning of its players if they went to North Korea following diplomatic tensions between the two countries - linked to the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the North Korean leader's half-brother, at Kuala Lumpur airport on 13 February 2017. The meetings between the two teams were finally held on neutral ground in Thailand, where North Korea needed two victories to give them a chance to qualify, dominating Malaysia (4–1 and 4–1). At the 2017 EAFF E-1 Football Championship, the Chollima failed to win a single match and finished 4th and last in the final round, with two opening losses against Japan and South Korea (0–1 each time) before ending the competition in a draw (1–1) against China.

In the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, North Korea were swept away by Saudi Arabia (0–4), Qatar (6–0, suffering the second heaviest defeat in its history) and against Lebanon (1–4), leaving the competition with the worst record of the 24 teams involved (three defeats in as many games played, only one goal scored, 14 conceded, and two red cards received). North Korea then participated in the 2nd round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and beat Lebanon (2–0) thanks to a double from Jong Il-gwan. North Korea managed to follow up with a narrow victory in Sri Lanka five days later (1–0) with a goal by Jang Kuk-chol before facing South Korea. For the first time since a friendly match in 1990 and for the first time in a qualifier, the meeting between the two Koreas took place in Pyongyang, however the match was not televised live and no Korean supporters or foreign journalists were allowed to attend the match, which ended in a scoreless draw (0–0), leaving the two teams at the top of Pool H tied. Following the match against their rivals, they lost for the first time in their history against Turkmenistan (1–3) but managed to beat Lebanon 2–0. Five days later, they played Lebanon again, drawing 0–0, preserving their chances of qualifying for the next round. However, North Korea withdrew from qualifying due to fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic. FIFA and the AFC announced that all results of matches played by North Korea since the start of the 2nd qualifying round and 2023 AFC Asian Cup were void and would not count towards qualification, thus North Korea would not play in the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, their first miss out from the event since 2007.

Return after a long hiatus (2023–present)

In August 2023, North Korea announced interests in returning to sporting competitions, including football, and has signalled interests to return to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification, where North Korea found themselves in Group B of the second round against Japan, Syria and Myanmar. The country's move was confirmed by FIFA and the AFC as North Korea sought to enhance its football reputation, already damaged due to the isolation related to the pandemic. After more than 5 years of inactive international football, On 16 November 2023, North Korea played against Syria losing 1–0 to them. On 21 November, North Korea thrashed Myanmar 6–1 at the Thuwunna Stadium with Jong Il-gwan scoring a hat-trick in the match.

On 11 June 2024, North Korea advanced to the final round of the FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time since 2010, and qualified to the AFC Asian Cup for the 2027 edition, after missing out in 2023.

Team image

North Korea's flag at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Between 2014 and January 2024, the official kit provider for the North Korean national teams was the North Korean sports company Choeusu. In January 2024, Chinese sports brand Inlang became the official kit sponsor.

Period	Kit Provider
0000–1993	Admiral
1998–2002	Fila
2002–2003	Lotto
2003–2005	Adidas
2005–2006	Umbro
2006–2008	Hummel
2008–2010	ERKE
2010–2014	Legea
2014–2024	Ch'oeusu
2024–present	Inlang

Stadium

North Korea plays their home matches at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium on Rungra Island, Pyongyang. It is the second largest stadium in the world with a capacity of 114,000. However, North Korea mostly used the Kim Il Sung Stadium in Pyongyang as their main stadium. Since 2019, North Korea had since used to host their home matches as a neutral ground all over Asia.

North Korea national football team home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	Rungrado 1st of May Stadium	114,000	Pyongyang	v  Jordan (14 June 2010; 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification)
	Kim Il Sung Stadium	50,000	Pyongyang	v  South Korea (15 October 2019; 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification)

Neutral venue

List of neutral venue grounds for North Korea in the FIFA World Cup qualifications and AFC Asian Cup qualifications

North Korea neutral home stadiums
Image	Stadium	Capacity	Location	Last match
	New Laos National Stadium	25,000	Vientiane, Laos	v  Uzbekistan (19 November 2024; 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification)

Results and fixtures

Main article: North Korea national football team results

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

Zhejiang v North Korea

29 January Hybrid friendly	Zhejiang	2–3	North Korea	Haikou, China
	Abdusalam Owusu-Sekyere		Jong Il-gwan

Zhejiang v North Korea

4 February Hybrid friendly	Zhejiang	2–2	North Korea	Haikou, China
	Owusu-Sekyere Gao Di

Shanghai Port v North Korea

9 February Hybrid friendly

Shanghai Port

2–3

North Korea

Haikou, China

Japan v North Korea

21 March 2026 World Cup qualification R2	Japan	1–0	North Korea	Tokyo, Japan
19:23 UTC+9	Tanaka 2'	Report (FIFA) Report (AFC)		Stadium: Japan National Stadium Attendance: 59,354 Referee: Adel Al-Naqbi (United Arab Emirates)

North Korea v Japan

26 March 2026 World Cup qualification R2	North Korea	0–3 Awarded	Japan	Pyongyang, North Korea
		Report		Stadium: Kim Il Sung Stadium

North Korea v Syria

6 June 2026 World Cup qualification R2	North Korea	1–0	Syria	Vientiane, Laos
20:00 UTC+7	Jong Il-gwan 90+2'	Report		Stadium: New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 100 Referee: Salman Ahmad Falahi (Qatar)

North Korea v Myanmar

11 June 2026 World Cup qualification R2	North Korea	4–1	Myanmar	Vientiane, Laos
20:00 UTC+7	Ri Il-song 12' Ri Jo-guk 16', 43', 87' (pen.)	Report	Wai Lin Aung 57'	Stadium: New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 141 Referee: Shen Yinhao (China)

Jordan v North Korea

27 August Friendly	Jordan	0–0	North Korea	Amman, Jordan
19:00 UTC+3		Report		Stadium: Petra Stadium Attendance: 0
Note: The match was held behind closed doors.

Jordan v North Korea

29 August Friendly	Jordan	2–1	North Korea	Amman, Jordan
19:00 UTC+3	Olwan	Report		Stadium: Amman International Stadium Attendance: 0
Note: The match was held behind closed doors.

Uzbekistan v North Korea

5 September 2026 World Cup qualification R3	Uzbekistan	1–0	North Korea	Tashkent, Uzbekistan
19:00 UTC+5	Masharipov 20'	Report		Stadium: Milliy Stadium Attendance: 24,205 Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)

North Korea v Qatar

10 September 2026 World Cup qualification R3	North Korea	2–2	Qatar	Vientiane, Laos
19:00 UTC+7	Ri Il-song 19' Kang Kuk-chol 52'	Report	Afif 31' (pen.) Ali 44'	Stadium: New Laos National Stadium Attendance: 140 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia)

United Arab Emirates v North Korea

10 October 2026 World Cup qualification R3	United Arab Emirates	1–1	North Korea	Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
20:00 UTC+4	Al-Ghassani 66'	Report	Jong Il-gwan 86'	Stadium: Hazza bin Zayed Stadium Attendance: 8,536 Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)

Kyrgyzstan v North Korea

15 October 2026 World Cup qualification R3	Kyrgyzstan	1–0	North Korea	Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
20:00 UTC+6	Brauzman 11'	Report		Stadium: Dolen Omurzakov Stadium Attendance: 9,769 Referee: Khaled Al-Hoish (Saudi Arabia)

North Korea v Iran

14 November 2026 World Cup qualification R3	North Korea	2–3	Iran	Vientiane, Laos
19:00 UTC+7	Taremi 56' (o.g.) Kim Yu-song 59'	Report	Ghayedi 29' Mohebbi 41', 45'	Stadium: New Laos National Stadium Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan)

North Korea v Uzbekistan

19 November 2026 World Cup qualification R3	North Korea	0–1	Uzbekistan	Vientiane, Laos
19:00 UTC+7		Report	Fayzullaev 44'	Stadium: New Laos National Stadium Referee: Ahmed Al-Ali (Kuwait)

Guam v North Korea

8 December 2025 EAFF E-1 preliminary	Guam	Cancelled	North Korea	Mong Kok, Hong Kong
14:00 UTC+8				Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium
Note: North Korea withdrew shortly after the draw

North Korea v Macau

14 December 2025 EAFF E-1 preliminary	North Korea	Cancelled	Macau	Mong Kok, Hong Kong
14:00 UTC+8				Stadium: Mong Kok Stadium
Note: North Korea withdrew shortly after the draw

2025

Qatar v North Korea

20 March 2026 World Cup qualification R3	Qatar	v	North Korea	Qatar
--:-- UTC+3

North Korea v United Arab Emirates

25 March 2026 World Cup qualification R3	North Korea	v	United Arab Emirates	TBD
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North Korea v Kyrgyzstan

5 June 2026 World Cup qualification R3	North Korea	v	Kyrgyzstan	TBD
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Iran v North Korea

Coaching staff

Role	Name
Head coach	Sin Yong-nam
Assistant coaches	Pak Nam-chol Kim Kum-il
Goalkeeping coach	Ri Myong-guk
Match analyst	Choe Gwan-il
Performance coach	Pak Kuk-myong
Team doctors	Dr. Jang Il-bom Dr. Song Jong-chol
Physiotherapists	Choe Nam-kuk Kim Myong-il Ri Song-pyong Yun Kuk-hyong
Team coordinator	Ri Chol-myong
Technical director	Yun Jong-su

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers matches against Iran and Uzbekistan in November 2024.

• All caps and goals as of 19 November 2024, after match against Uzbekistan.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Kang Ju-hyok	(1997-05-31) 31 May 1997	11	0	Hwaebul
18	1GK	Sin Tae-song	(2000-05-30) 30 May 2000	0	0	April 25
21	1GK	Yu Kwang-jun	(2000-11-05) 5 November 2000	2	0	Ryomyong
2	2DF	Kim Jin-hyok	(2002-03-25) 25 March 2002	0	0	Sonbong
3	2DF	Jang Kuk-chol (captain)	(1994-02-16) 16 February 1994	72	5	Hwaebul
4	2DF	Kim Pom-hyok	(2000-04-15) 15 April 2000	9	0	Ryomyong
8	2DF	Sin Kwang-nam	(2003-11-01) 1 November 2003	0	0	Unknown
14	2DF	Choe Ok-chol	(1998-11-11) 11 November 1998	11	0	Kigwancha
16	2DF	Kim Yu-song	(2003-07-18) 18 July 2003	11	1	Amnokgang
19	2DF	Kim Sung-hye	(2003-01-15) 15 January 2003	1	0	Sonbong
5	3MF	Kim Kum-chon	(2003-03-10) 10 March 2003	0	0	Kigwancha
6	3MF	Kye Tam	(2000-10-06) 6 October 2000	3	0	Ryomyong
7	3MF	Ri Hun	(1997-08-31) 31 August 1997	2	0	Ryomyong
15	3MF	Ri Un-chol	(1995-07-13) 13 July 1995	33	1	Kigwancha
17	3MF	Kang Kuk-chol	(1999-09-29) 29 September 1999	24	1	Rimyongsu
20	3MF	Paek Chung-song	(2000-02-25) 25 February 2000	11	0	Ryomyong
22	3MF	Pak Kwang-hun	(1997-04-18) 18 April 1997	2	0	Rimyongsu
9	4FW	Ri Jo-guk	(2002-05-09) 9 May 2002	8	3	Ryomyong
10	4FW	Han Kwang-song	(1998-09-11) 11 September 1998	21	2	April 25
11	4FW	Jong Il-gwan	(1992-10-30) 30 October 1992	85	31	Ryomyong
12	4FW	Choe Ju-song	(1996-01-27) 27 January 1996	16	1	Amnokgang
13	4FW	Ri Il-song	(2004-01-14) 14 January 2004	10	2	Ryomyong
23	4FW	Jong Kum-song	(1997-01-24) 24 January 1997	4	0	Rimyongsu

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
DF	Kim Kyong-sok	(2000-02-19) 19 February 2000	1	0	Sonbong	v. Japan, 26 March 2024
DF	Choe Jin-nam	(1998-11-20) 20 November 1998	1	0	Ryomyong	v. Japan, 26 March 2024
MF	Kim Kuk-bom	(1995-02-19) 19 February 1995	19	0	Ryomyong	v. Kyrgyzstan, 15 October 2024
MF	Mun In-ju	(1999-08-22) 22 August 1999	1	0	FC Gifu	v. Japan, 26 March 2024
MF	Kim Hyon	(2000-03-06) 6 March 2000	0	0	Amnokgang	v. Japan, 21 March 2024PRE
MF	Choe Song-hyok	(1998-02-28) 28 February 1998	3	0	Unknown	v. Myanmar, 21 November 2023
MF	Kwon Hyok-jun	(1997-03-06) 6 March 1997	0	0	Amnokgang	v. Myanmar, 21 November 2023
FW	Kim Kuk-jin	(2000-10-11) 11 October 2000	9	0	Kigwancha	v. Kyrgyzstan, 15 October 2024
FW	Pak Kwang-ryong	(1992-09-27) 27 September 1992	43	14	Unknown	v. Myanmar, 21 November 2023
FW	Ri Hyong-jin	(1993-07-19) 19 July 1993	8	4	April 25	v. Myanmar, 21 November 2023
Notes PRE = Preliminary squad/standby. SUS = Serving suspension

Records

As of 10 October 2024.

Players in bold are still active with North Korea.

Most appearances

Rank	Name	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Ri Myong-guk	118	0	2007–2019
2	Jong Il-gwan	82	31	2011–present
3	Pak Nam-chol	77	15	2004–2012
4	Ri Kwang-chon	70	1	2001–2012
5	Jang Kuk-chol	69	5	2011–present
6	Kim Yong-jun	62	8	2001–2011
7	Pak Song-chol	58	13	2007–2017
8	Mun In-guk	55	6	2004–2011
9	Hong Yong-jo	51	13	2002–2011
	Nam Song-chol	51	2	2003–2010

Top goalscorers

Jong Il-gwan is North Korea's top goalscorer with 31 goals.

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Jong Il-gwan	31	82	0.37	2011–present
2	Jong Tae-se	15	33	0.45	2007–2011
	Pak Nam-chol	15	77	0.19	2004–2012
4	Pak Kwang-ryong	14	43	0.33	2009–present
5	Hong Yong-jo	13	51	0.25	2002–2011
	Pak Song-chol	13	58	0.22	2007–2017
7	Choe Chol-man	11	21	0.52	2005–2010
8	Choi Yong-son	10	29	0.34	1990–1993
9	Kang Jin-Hyok	9	6	1.5	2005–2007
	An Chol-Hyok	9	29	0.31	2005–2011

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Main article: North Korea at the FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Part of Japan										Part of Japan
1934
1938
1950	Not a FIFA member										Not a FIFA member
1954
1958
1962	Did not enter										Did not enter
1966	Quarter-finals	8th	4	1	1	2	5	9	Squad		2	2	0	0	9	2
1970	Withdrew										Withdrew
1974	Did not qualify										6	1	3	2	5	5
1978	Withdrew										Withdrew
1982	Did not qualify										4	2	1	1	6	6
1986											4	1	2	1	3	2
1990											11	5	2	4	13	9
1994											13	8	1	4	24	18
1998	Did not enter										Did not enter
2002
2006	Did not qualify										12	4	2	6	16	16
2010	Group stage	32nd	3	0	0	3	1	12	Squad		16	8	6	2	20	7
2014	Did not qualify										6	2	1	3	3	4
2018											8	5	1	2	14	8
2022	Withdrew										Withdrew
2026	Qualification in progress										12	3	2	7	16	16
2030	To be determined										To be determined
2034
Total	Quarter-finals	2/16	7	1	1	5	6	21	—		94	41	21	32	129	93

List of FIFA World Cup matches
Year	Round	Score	Result
1966	Round 1	North Korea 0–3 Soviet Union	Loss
	Round 1	North Korea 1–1 Chile	Draw
	Round 1	North Korea 1–0 Italy	Win
	Round 2	North Korea 3–5 Portugal	Loss
2010	Round 1	North Korea 1–2 Brazil	Loss
	Round 1	North Korea 0–7 Portugal	Loss
	Round 1	North Korea 0–3 Ivory Coast	Loss

AFC Asian Cup

See also: North Korea at the AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1956	Not an AFC member										Not an AFC member
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976	Withdrew after qualifying										5	3	1	1	7	4
1980	Fourth place	4th	6	3	0	3	10	12	Squad		5	4	1	0	9	2
1984	Banned										Banned
1988	Did not qualify										4	2	1	1	3	2
1992	Group stage	8th	3	0	1	2	2	5	Squad		3	2	1	0	8	0
1996	Did not enter										Did not enter
2000	Did not qualify										6	3	2	1	11	7
2004											8	1	2	5	5	15
2007	Banned										Banned
2011	Group stage	12th	3	0	1	2	0	2	Squad		AFC Challenge Cup
2015		14th	3	0	0	3	2	7	Squad
2019		24th	3	0	0	3	1	14	Squad		14	8	3	3	27	18
2023	Withdrew										Withdrew during qualifying
2027	Qualified										6	3	0	3	11	7
Total	Fourth place	6/14	18	3	2	13	15	40	—		51	26	11	14	76	55

EAFF Championship

EAFF Championship record											Preliminary round
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2003	Withdrew										Withdrew
2005	Third place	3rd	3	1	1	1	1	2	Squad		4	4	0	0	31	0
2008	Fourth place	4th	3	0	2	1	3	5	Squad		2	2	0	0	14	1
2010	Did not qualify										3	2	1	0	11	3
2013											4	3	1	0	16	2
2015	Third place	3rd	3	1	1	1	2	3	Squad		3	2	1	0	7	2
2017	Fourth place	4th	3	0	1	2	1	3	Squad		3	3	0	0	5	0
2019	Did not qualify										3	2	1	0	6	1
2022	Did not participate										Not held
2025	Withdrew										Withdrew
Total	Third place	4/10	12	2	5	5	7	13	—		22	18	4	0	90	9

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1951 to 1970	Did not enter
1974	Fourth place	4th	7	3	1	3	11	8	Squad
1978	Champions	1st	6	4	2	0	12	3	Squad
1982	Fourth place	4th	6	2	2	2	9	8	Squad
1986	Did not enter
1990	Runners-up	2nd	5	1	3	1	2	2	Squad
1994	Did not enter
1998	Second round	13th	4	1	2	1	6	8	Squad
2002–present	See North Korea national under-23 football team
Total	1 Gold medal	5/13	28	11	10	7	40	29	—

AFC Challenge Cup

AFC Challenge Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
2006	Did not enter
2008	Third place	3rd	5	4	0	1	9	1
2010	Champions	1st	5	3	2	0	14	2
2012	Champions	1st	5	5	0	0	12	1
2014	Did not enter
Total	2 Titles	3/5	15	12	2	1	35	4

Dynasty Cup

Dynasty Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1990	Third place	3rd	3	0	1	2	1	3
1992	Third place	3rd	3	0	2	1	4	7
1995	Did not enter
1998
Total	Third place	2/4	6	0	3	3	5	10

All-time results

The following table shows North Korea's all-time international record, correct as of 19 November 2024.

Total	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
	358	140	89	119	496	399

• https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/nordkorea-team/21/
• FIFA.com

Honours

Continental

• AFC Challenge Cup
  • Champions (2): 2010, 2012
  • Third place (1): 2008
• Asian Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1978
  • Silver medal (1): 1990

Regional

• EAFF E-1 Football Championship
  • Third place (2): 2005, 2015
• Dynasty Cup
  • Third place (2): 1990, 1992

Friendly

• Nehru Cup
  • Champions (1): 1993
  • Third place (1): 1989
• AIFF Intercontinental Cup
  • Champions (1): 2019
• Qatar International Friendship Tournament
  • Champions (1): 2010
• VFF Vietnam International Friendly Cup
  • Champions (1): 2010
  • Third place (1): 2008
• King's Cup (Thailand)
  • Champions (3): 1986, 1987, 2002
• Four Nations Men's Football Tournament (China)
  • Champions (1): 2001

Summary

Competition				Total
AFC Challenge Cup	2	0	1	3
Asian Games	1	1	0	2
EAFF E-1 Football Championship	0	2	0	2
Dynasty Cup	0	0	2	2
Total	3	3	3	9

See also

• Football in North Korea
• North Korea–South Korea football rivalry
• The Game of Their Lives (2002 film)

External links

• Blog about football Democratic People's Republic of Korea (in Italian)
• Korea DPR at FIFA
• Korea DPR at AFC
• North Korea – The World Cup's Mystery Men by BBC News, 9 June 2010
• Northern Exposure: The People's Team Abroad by Soccerlens, 25 July 2010